Author: gleanernewspaper

A United Nations Assessment and Advisory Visit (AAV) Team last week conducted a thorough assessment of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces’ (RSLAF) readiness to return to international peacekeeping missions. The assessment was conducted on October 1 and 2, 2025, by a four-person delegation led by James D’Ercole of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York. British and Canadian observers also attended. Following the UN Statement of Unit Requirements (SUR), the Team assessed a wide range of criteria deemed necessary for deployment to a peacekeeping theatre. The review focused on unit capability and training, personnel strength and…

The Fostering Africa’s Agricultural Productivity through Fertiliser Value Chain Financing (FOSTER) project in Sierra Leone has received approval from the African Development Bank Group for a $2.25 million financing package. The project aims to improve crop yields for over 126,000 smallholder farmers by strengthening the fertiliser value chain and expanding fertiliser access.Welthungerhilfe is implementing the program, which combines a $1.5 million Partial Credit Guarantee from the Africa Fertiliser Financing Mechanism (AFFM) with a $700,000 grant for soil health management and $50,000 in-kind assistance from Welthungerhilfe. These resources are anticipated to work together to leverage approximately $9 million in private financing…

Freetown, October 21, 2025 — His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio officially launched Sierra Leone’s National Poppy Week on Tuesday at State House with a ceremony commemorating the country’s servicemen and women’s courage and sacrifice.The annual remembrance honours those who served and died in World Wars I and II, as well as those who lost their lives or returned scarred from Sierra Leone’s eleven-year civil war.President Bio emphasised the ongoing significance of Poppy Week as a national moment of reflection during his keynote address. We noted that 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,…

By Luc Briard How can we unite, act and resist together in order to defend gender equality and the rights of women and girls? This will be the guiding question of the 4th Ministerial Conference on Feminist Foreign Policy, which France will host on 22 and 23 October 2025. This conference will bring together ministers of foreign affairs from all regions of the world, representatives of international organizations, public development banks, as well as civil society, research bodies and philanthropic foundations. Since 2019, France has pursued a feminist foreign policy, making gender equality and women’s rights a cross-cutting priority of its…

When David Moinina Sengeh became Sierra Leone’s first Chief Innovation Officer in 2018, few could have predicted the far-reaching consequences of his appointment. His tenure marked a watershed moment in how the government could use technology, data, and human-centred design to improve service delivery in a country hungry for competent, accountable leadership. Dr Sengeh has consistently combined pragmatic problem-solving with an ambitious national vision for inclusive development in his various roles, most notably as Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and, following the 2023 elections, as Chief Minister appointed by President Julius Maada Bio. The Directorate of Science, Technology,…

Global cocoa prices have reached historic highs, but this windfall has largely failed to benefit the smallholder farmers who produce the majority of the world’s cocoa. The Cocoa Barometer 2025, which was released today, depicts a sector that is both fragile and changing: worse in some ways than it should be, better in others, and with plenty of room for improvement. According to the report, producers in West Africa bear the real costs of current market dynamics. Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana combined account for more than 60% of global cocoa output, influencing global prices and policy. Nigeria is also re-emerging…

His Excellency B.C. Pradhan, the Indian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, paid a courtesy visit last week to Nabeela Farida Tunis, Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, to strengthen bilateral ties and explore new avenues for collaboration in the creative and tourism sectors. The discussions, which took place at the Ministry’s offices on King Harman Road in Freetown, focused on strengthening tourism, culture, and people-to-people ties between the Republic of Sierra Leone and the Government of India. Both delegations described the discussions as constructive, with a focus on practical ways to increase capacity in Sierra Leone’s tourism sector and promote cultural…

Sierra Leone’s culinary stars were greeted with heroism after delivering an inspiring performance at the 2025 West African Food Festival (WAFFEST) in Accra, Ghana, demonstrating not only the country’s culinary talent but also the resilience and spirit that underpin its hospitality sector. Under the visible support of the Sierra Leone Association of Hotels (SLAH) and its National President, Mr John Shallop, the team overcame long journeys and limited resources to win three top prizes — 1st Place in Country Cuisine, 2nd Place in Cake Decoration, and 3rd Place in Dessert Plating — achievements that now highlight Sierra Leone’s growing regional…

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Dr Isata Mahoi, told delegates attending the West and Central Africa Regional Adolescent Girls Summit in Dakar that President Julius Maada Bio has made clean cooking a national priority. During a panel titled “Exploring How Innovation, Policy, and Partnership Can Scale Access to Clean Cooking Solutions,” Dr Mahoi identified clean cooking as a multifaceted issue that includes gender equality, public health, and child protection, in addition to energy. Hoi identified clean cooking as a multi-faceted issue affecting gender equality, public health, and child protection, in addition to energy. The summit, co-organised by…

Social Linkages for Youth Development and Child Link (SLYDCL) on Friday, 10th October commemorated World Mental Health Day (WMHD) with a community focal point training organised to sensitise young people on the effects of drug and substance abuse. The training also touched on the correlation between mental health and drug abuse and the importance of seeking care. Some 50 current and former drug users attended the training which took place at the head office of the civil society organisation on Kande Drive, Off Wilkinson Road in Freetown. SLYDCL works with people who inject drugs, mainly youth, who are considered as one of the key populations in…